Monday, November 21, 2016

No Instant Pot? Download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen, for vegan Thanksgiving Recipe ideas and Menus you can make without an Instant Pot.Available on Amazon and iTunes.

Instant Pot - a Needed Helper for Holiday Cooking

If you're like most families, your oven and all the burners are busy when cooking for the holidays, especially on Thanksgiving. What better time to have an Instant Pot to lend a helping hand. I've got two!

Here are a few healthy, low-calorie Instant Pot recipes you might want to consider for your holiday meals. Except for the Farro recipe, they are also gluten free.Start with SoupI have two takes on soup. The first is one that's casual, served in a mug and handed to your guests in the kitchen while everyone is cooking. To do this, you need a brothy soup, like this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soupthat I blogged earlier this week.

150 calories and only 1 gram of fat and a whopping 4 g of dietary fiber!

Brussels sprouts are a must at our Thanksgiving table. Clean them ahead of time and make Sweet and Orangey Brussels Sproutsin your Instant Pot in just a few minutes time.

Only 65 calories per serving

Another side dish that you can easily make in your Instant Pot is Farro with Peas.

Greens always dress up a table. If you aren't making mashed potatoes, you can make this Instant Pot Kale and New Potato dish. Of course you can omit the potatoes and double the kale in the recipe if you already have potatoes on the menu.

Only 54 calories and 1 gram of fat

Well, that should give you a few ideas on how to use your Instant Pot for your holiday cooking. I haven't figured out how to make a pumpkin pie in there yet, but you should have plenty of room left to do that in your oven.Happy Thanksgiving!

Quick and Easy Soup in the Instant PotWith several dozen butternut squash from my harvest, I've been trying to create a really simple, delicious, and healthy recipe so that I can enjoy them over the next few months. This recipe, using my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, makes a steamy, brothy soup that makes a wonderful beginning to any meal. I will be hauling a few of my squash to my daughter's house next week so that we can serve this soup on Thanksgiving day.Butternut squash can sometimes be tough to cut and a bit intimidating, so check out my post, An Easy Way to Cut a Butternut Squash Without a Machete.If you don't have an Instant Pot, follow the Stove Top recipe below.

* * *Instant Pot Butternut Squash SoupVegan, Dairy and Gluten Free[makes 6 servings]RequirementsInstant Pot Pressure CookerImmersion BlenderIngredients1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1 cup diced onion1 cup diced celery1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and diced4 cups vegetable broth*1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperaturePinch cayenne pepper, or to taste1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, divided2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste* broth can be replaced by 4 cups water and a large Rapunzel vegan bouillon cubeDirections (Using an Instant Pot)Heat the oil in the Instant Pot on the SAUTE function. Add the onions and celery and cook for three minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the Instant Pot.Add the diced butternut squash, broth, and salt and hit the MANUAL button on the Instant Pot and set for 6 minutes under high pressure. Make sure the quick release switch in the closed position. When done, hit the OFF button and let the pressure release naturally.When complete, open the cover and tilt so that the steam comes out the back and away from your face.

Add the applesauce, cayenne pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon of thyme and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.

Stir in the lemon juice and adjust salt and cayenne to taste. It should still be warm enough but if not, use the SAUTE function and heat for several minutes. Pour into large cups or small soup bowls, top with the remaining fresh thyme and serve. Directions (On the Stove Top)Heat the oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add the diced butternut squash, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.Turn off the heat. Add the applesauce, cayenne pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon of thyme and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust salt and cayenne to taste.Pour into large cups or small soup bowls, top with the remaining fresh thyme and serve.

In addition, olive oil contains anti-inflammatory polyphenols which lower the body's overall inflammation. So give it a try!Can't Give it Up?If you absolutely cannot give up that buttery flavor, try using some ghee. Ghee is traditionally used in Indian food and is made by cooking butter until all the moisture is removed and the milk solids are caramelized and filtered out. Ghee has many advantages over butter.Although it's not vegan, people like myself who cannot eat dairy, can tolerate ghee because it does not have lactose or the milk protein, casein. It also doesn't spoil and can last for several months without refrigeration, so it's nice and soft when you need it.

Always buy organic ghee made from grass-fed and pasture-raised cows

But despite the numerous health claims you may read about ghee, it is still a saturated fat so if you do eat it, do it sparingly. It's amazing how very little butter or ghee it takes to bring a buttery taste to your recipe. So if you don't want to replace all of your butter with olive oil, convert most of it and add just a little ghee.Happy Baking!

Warm Muffins - A Wholesome Addition to BreakfastAs the weather cools down, it's nice to start the day with a warm breakfast. These muffins, bursting with blueberries, apples and walnuts, are delicious with Kite Hill almond-based cream "cheese." Take the leftovers to work or school, as they make a wonderful mid-afternoon snack.Blueberries are one of the highest antioxidant foods we can eat plus each low-calorie, high-fiber muffin is packed with over a 1/2 gram of omega-3 due to the addition of walnuts and flaxseeds! * * *Whole Wheat Apple Blueberry MuffinsVegan, Dairy Free[makes 12 muffins]Ingredients1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for greasing muffin pan2 cups King Arthur white whole-wheat flour2 tablespoons ground flax seeds1/4 cup organic can sugar1 teaspoon powdered stevia1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup non-dairy milk, such as almond or soy milk2/3 cup applesauce1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed3/4 cup finely diced peeled apples1/4 cup chopped walnutsDirectionsPreheat the oven to 375°F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, flax seeds, sugar, stevia, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the milk, applesauce, and oil and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and mix until well blended. Fold in the blueberries, apples and walnuts.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1⁄3-cup measure, scoop batter into muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin, 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, release the muffins from the pan, and serve warm.